The L.A. Times music blog

Facebook flips the switch on Turntable.fm-like DJ feature

Facebook on Thursday introduced a feature that lets users listen to music with their online friends and even host a private DJ session where one person spins tunes while others in the party listen.

If this sounds like deja vu, it may be because you've heard about a similar service called Turntable.fm, where users can take turns playing DJ in virtual rooms.

The difference, however, is that Turntable.fm rooms are generally open to all other users whereas Facebook's listening sessions are private, limited to only friends of the host. Facebook users are able to further fine-tune which of their friends are able to listen in, preventing, say, bosses from eavesdropping.

But there are similarities as well. As with Turntable.fm, Facebook listeners can chat together via an instant message feature within the site.

The feature works with two streaming music services present on Facebook, including Spotify and Rdio, but Facebook spokeswoman Meredith Chin said the feature should be integrated into other services "in the coming weeks." More detail about the feature can be found on a blog post by Alexandre Roche, a Facebook product designer.